


Delicate

by Howlingdawn



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Parenthood, Team as Family, and also judd-owen-tk is a TRIO, because i need so many more flashbacks, references to little tk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23240968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howlingdawn/pseuds/Howlingdawn
Summary: Holding his newborn daughter for the first time, Judd is suddenly very, very terrified of fatherhood. When Owen comes to visit, he brings some much-needed reassurance.
Relationships: Judd Ryder & Owen Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand (mentioned)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 123





	Delicate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so hoping Grace & Judd's s2 storyline will be them deciding to become parents and I want that so bad (I'm taking that 1x09 convo with his dad as a shred of hope until canon proves me wrong), even if an actual pregnancy or adoption doesn't happen until s3. I just... I need Judd as a dad ok?? I need this. It's also the closest I'm gonna get to canon Grandpa Owen for a while yet
> 
> Also Judd and Grace have an 11-inch height difference and this is Important to me

Sitting at his sleeping wife’s bedside in the dim hospital room, one thought ran around and around Judd’s head:

_I’m not meant to hold something this tiny._

Judd was a large, loud man. Even TK and Carlos, with all of their height and muscle, were small beside him, and even energetic Mateo and brazen Marjan seemed quiet. Judd was built to stand out in a crowd, to laugh so God Himself could hear, to shield his crew from whatever danger came their way. He was Texan to the core, born and raised to do nothing small, nothing quiet, and he had always loved it, always enjoyed it.

Holding his newborn daughter, he suddenly felt clumsy and unwieldy and completely, utterly unprepared for this next chapter of his life.

Tessa was tiny. So tiny, and fragile, and delicate. She had entered the world screaming loud enough to make her daddy plenty proud, belying her miniscule size. Her features were delicate, adorable, clearly inherited from her mother, and Judd hardly dared to move the finger she had wrapped in her tiny little fist, afraid of breaking those little fingers.

And he had to do this every day for years to come.

He could charge into blazing fires. Jump into silos of corn that could swallow him in seconds. Face down rampaging bulls. Plunge into rattlesnake-infested basements. Speak his mind even when it got him in trouble. Battle the monster inside of him that was his post-traumatic stress.

He had never been as scared as he was now.

The door creaked open, letting in a stream of light and noise before Owen slipped inside, shutting it carefully behind him. His entire being positively lit up at the sight of Tessa, and Judd found himself wondering if he had felt like this when TK was born. He was always so confident and collected, breaking only when his son was in danger, and Judd could hardly imagine him ever not knowing how to be a good father.

“She’s adorable,” Owen whispered. “What’s her name?

“Tessa.”

“Cute.” He held his hands out. “May I?”

Judd was almost relieved to hand her over to the much more experienced father – he couldn’t break her if he wasn’t holding her.

Owen gathered her up with the ease of practice. “I remember when TK was this tiny,” he said, his voice softer than Judd had ever heard it. “I remember it like it was yesterday. And now… well, he’ll probably have a kid of his own soon enough.”

“I bet you’re looking forward to that.”

“More than you know.”

Judd chuckled at his enthusiasm. “I’ll be chasing off the boys for a long time yet.”

“Or the girls.”

“Or the girls,” Judd amended.

“Here,” Owen said. “I don’t want to monopolize her.”

Much as he knew he should hold his baby girl for as long as he could because she would grow up faster than he could blink, he found himself hesitating, and Owen, perceptive bastard that he was, picked up on it. “Judd? Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he lied, crossing his arms with a shrug. “I just, um… you’re welcome to keep holding her.”

Owen arched an eyebrow. “That was the worst lying I have _ever_ heard.”

“I- It was not,” Judd muttered.

“Judd.” Owen gave him that patented dad stare. “TK lied better when he was three and he tried to tell me a dragon had burned his broccoli to ashes when I could see it sitting right there on his plate, green as could be. What’s wrong?”

“I…” Judd scrubbed a hand down his face, giving in with a ragged sigh. “I feel like I’m gonna break her. I’m not, you know, really built for holding something so… delicate.”

“Nonsense,” Owen said. “Here, hold your arms out.”

“Cap-”

Owen stared. “Arms, Judd. Now.”

Reluctantly, Judd held his arms out, and Owen placed Tessa in them. “Just hold her head there, and put your arm there… There. Perfect.”

Tessa let out a contented little babble, snuggling against Judd’s chest. Owen smiled. “See? She knows she’s safe.”

“But I…” Judd licked his lips. “Cap, I have no earthly _idea_ how to be a dad.”

“You think I did?”

“You and TK have always been thick as thieves.”

“Not always,” Owen corrected. “I have made… more mistakes than I care to admit, and I’m still making up for them. But you know what the important thing was? The thing that keeps earning me the trust and love TK looks at me with?”

“What?”

“I’m trying,” Owen answered, gently insistent. “I wasn’t always there, but I am now. I support him, and I love him, and I’m there for him, and even to this day I sometimes do the wrong thing, but he knows it’s out of love. That’s why he’s stayed as close to me as he has all these years. You’re going to mess up, Judd, but as long as you always keep trying, as long as you always love her unconditionally, you’ll do just fine.”

Looking at his daughter, Judd couldn’t imagine _not_ doing that. He had known plenty of people whose parents turned their backs on them, whether it was for their career choice, their sexuality, a million other excuses, or some for no reason at all, and it had confused him for years. Finally holding his own child, this precious bundle of light and joy, he absolutely couldn’t imagine turning his back on her, no matter what she did or who she grew up to be. “I think I can handle that.”

Owen grinned. “Still want me to hold her?”

Judd made a show of shying away from him. “Hell no.”

Owen clapped him on the shoulder, looking at Tessa. “You’re a lucky kid, Tessa Ryder. Don’t you forget that. And Judd?”

“Hm?”

“I’m always here if you need advice.”

The door opened again, this time admitting the rest of the crew, Michelle and Carlos included, everyone swarming around Judd to coo over Tessa. Grinning, heart swelling with pride as he showed her off to his family – this time very firmly refusing to give her over to TK and Marjan, both of whom had been riddled with baby fever for months now, and he wasn’t entirely sure they would ever give her back – he told Owen “I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've got a lot of headcanons worked out about Grace/Judd and Tarlos's children, but the exact timing of when they're all born/adopted isn't one of those things, but... this is probably not too long before Tarlos decides to start a family. Just to give you an idea of how much TK wants to hold Tessa
> 
> Anyways! I hope you enjoyed my attempt to provide a little levity during these Fun Times we're living in


End file.
